As more and more South Dakota commercial and backyard flocks confirm avian flu diagnosis in recent weeks and months, Dakota Layers out of Flandreau continues to take every precaution to keep the deadly virus out of its own bird populations.
The avian flu continues to inch ever close, with confirmed outbreaks in barns in Lake and Brookings counties in recent weeks. Once an outbreak is confirmed, birds are typically euthanized to stop the spread of the highly contagious virus.
The first cases of the current strain of Avian flu appeared in South Dakota in March according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The latest numbers, which were only updated through December 7th, show that the state has seen 57 commercial flocks impacted and 13 backyard flocks, affecting 2,471,910 birds currently.